Transfer Credit Policies
Accredited Colleges and Universities
The Office of the Registrar, in consultation with academic units evaluates credits from accredited colleges and universities. Portland State University accepts college-level credits earned in academic degree programs at colleges and universities accredited by regional accrediting associations and as recommended in Transfer Credit Practices of Designated Educational Institutions. All courses are evaluated to be either equivalent or parallel to PSU courses. Equivalent means that the catalog course description is substantially equal to that in the Portland State University Bulletin. Parallel means that the course is in a discipline which is offered by Portland State, even though PSU does not offer the specific course.
Unaccredited Institutions and Foreign Colleges and Universities
Departmental representatives, working through the Office of the Registrar, are authorized to evaluate credits transferred from unaccredited institutions or foreign colleges and universities after a student has been admitted to PSU. For specific course equivalency, students may be asked to provide catalog descriptions and/or documents certifying course content. Work from unaccredited schools is evaluated in accordance with the institutions and policies listed in Transfer Credit Practices, published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. Credit given for a particular course will not exceed credit given for the equivalent or corresponding PSU course.
Co-admission Programs
Portland State University has established co-admission programs with Chemeketa Community College, Clackamas Community College, Clark College, Clatsop Community College, Mt. Hood Community College, Oregon Coast Community College, and Portland Community College. Each co-admission program allows students to concurrently enroll at both PSU and the community college campus. For more information go to https://www.pdx.edu/admissions/co-admission.
Associate Degree Transfer
Students who upon admission have completed an Associate of Arts-Oregon Transfer (AAOT) or an Associate of Science Oregon Transfer-Business (ASOT-B) or an Associate of Science Oregon Transfer - Computer Science (ASOT-CS) degree at an accredited Oregon community college or another PSU-approved associate degree, have met all lower-division general education requirements, which includes freshman and sophomore University Studies requirements. The student must still fulfill any outstanding upper-division general education requirements. The transfer Associates may not satisfy all requirements for admission to professional schools. Please check with each school for specific admission requirements.
Oregon Transfer Compass Programs
Core Transfer Map (CTM)
Transfer students who present an earned CTM from an Oregon community college will be granted a minimum of 30 quarter credits applied to PSU general education requirements.
Major Transfer Map (MTM)
Major Transfer Maps (MTMs) are statewide agreements that create streamlined and guaranteed paths for students transferring from an Oregon community college to an Oregon university, based on the chosen major field. MTMs specify clear course-taking paths necessary for on-track progress towards a specific major/bachelor’s degree. MTMs build on the 30-credit general education foundation defined by the generic Core Transfer Map (CTM), although MTMs may specify particular relevant/required General Education courses as part of the 30-credit CTM component of the MTM. The individual MTMs identify the optimal and specific set of community college courses students need to take to transfer efficiently into the major at the university.
The successful completion of an MTM program that PSU participates in allows students to receive status at PSU, based on the number of academic credits referenced in the MTM agreement, including at least 30 credits of general education satisfied, that is comparable to the status of students with the same number of academic credits in the major course of study who began their postsecondary studies at PSU. The students will not be required to retake a course, as long as the minimum required grades have been earned. Students must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and meet the residency requirements at the community college awarding the MTM.
When students complete an MTM, the general education courses in the “Core Transfer Map” portion of the MTM, for which minimum required grades have been earned, are guaranteed to transfer into general education, degree, or major requirements for a bachelor’s degree.
Students who want to transfer prior to completing the MTM should talk with their community college advisor and an advisor at PSU prior to transfer about how their courses will count towards general education requirements and degree/major requirements. If the MTM is not awarded advisors can guide students to determine if they are eligible for a CTM. Students are responsible for informing the admissions counselor or intake advisors at PSU that they are completing an MTM. It is important for students to understand that completing the MTM in two years and the bachelor’s degree in four years requires them to complete a minimum average of 15 credits per quarter (or 45 credits per year).
Common Course Numbering (CCN)
As per 2021 Oregon Senate Bill 233, the university participates in a state-level common course numbering system. The Higher Education Coordinating System (HECC) has identified a set of commonly transferred lower division courses across all public higher education institutions that have aligned course numbers, learning outcomes, course titles and course descriptions. The common courses are approved after statewide disciplinary subgroups of faculty have recommended learning outcomes, course descriptions and numbers to the Transfer Council, which then makes a recommendation to HECC.
These common course numbers are identified in class schedules and on transcripts with a common marker, in the form of the letter ‘Z’ placed at the end of the course number. Courses labeled with the Z identifier are guaranteed to transfer easily and transparently within public institutions within the state of Oregon. The courses are identified in the class schedules and on transcripts with the letter ‘Z’ placed at the end of the course number. For example, MTH111 will become MTH111Z.
Oregon Transfer Module (OTM)
Transfer students who present an earned OTM from another Oregon institution will be granted a minimum of 45 quarter credit hours toward their general education graduation requirements.
Vocational and Technical Credits
Portland State University grants up to 12 credits for courses which are deemed vocational-career technical. These credits are transferred to PSU as general elective credits.
For the Bachelor of Applied Science degree, up to 67 vocational credits taken in the identified A.A.S. may be accepted towards completion of the B.A.S. degree. Additional information is outlined in the Bachelor of Applied Science degree requirements.
Correspondence Credit
A maximum of 60 correspondence credits are acceptable in transfer from regionally accredited schools recognized as institutions of higher education.
Community and Junior Colleges
The number of lower-division credits to be accepted in transfer from regionally accredited community and junior colleges is limited to 124.
College Courses Completed Before High School Graduation
College courses taken before a high school diploma is received are accepted in transfer provided the student receives grades of D- or above in the courses and the grades are posted on a college transcript.
Health Science Professions
Students who have completed preprofessional programs at PSU may transfer up to 48 credits of their professional health science work from schools accredited by a regional association and/or as indicated in Transfer Credit Practices. The health science students may not receive a bachelor’s degree from PSU and from the professional school when both degrees are based essentially on the same credits completed by the student. The residence credit requirement is satisfied by completing 45 of the last 60 credits at PSU, after admission to PSU and prior to formal enrollment in the qualifying professional program. The student must be within 48 credits of receiving a bachelor’s degree from PSU at the time of matriculation into the professional program.